House continues to buck tradition

When U.S. Sen. Huey Long was shot on a first floor hallway in the Louisiana Capitol that he built, bullets were flying from everywhere. A plaque and glass display now mark the spot where he was shot and where tour guides say a bullet remains lodged.
Wochit

In terms of legislative lines of demarcation, there’s BB (Before Barras) and AB (After Barras). That’s to say there was the House before the election of Speaker Taylor Barras and then there’s the House that exists today, in the wake of his unexpected rise to power on January 11, 2016.

Many of those inside the rails — meaning the rails of the House — believe the foundation for increased independence were planted long before Barras came along, back during Louisiana BB. Regardless, the lower chamber has taken on an entirely new look this term and the changes will continue into the next, beginning with leadership elections.

While Barras’ ability to get elected without the help of a sitting governor was remarkable, and will undoubtedly color his standing in history books, the speaker’s management style has done more to shape the modern House than most other factors. The lack of hardball politics coming from the top and the GOP stranglehold on the House have created an environment where it’s now okay to start running early and publicly for speaker.

For example, Alexandria Rep. Lance Harris, the chairman of the House GOP delegation, told LaPolitics.com last week that he intends to run for speaker when lawmakers vote internally in January 2020. "I want to see the work we started in the House continue, I want to see it through and grow the conservative agenda we’ve created as a body," said Harris, who took office in 2012.

A businessman and farmer best known professionally for his string of convenience stores, Harris has formed a leadership PAC and said he’s aggressively fundraising. His entry into the developing race shows that the field is not yet set, and it’s another signal that leadership races are coming out of the shadows.

"I guess with the idea that the House was able to choose its own leader last time, things have become more public," said Rep. Sam Jones, a term-limited Democrat with long roots in Louisiana politics. "There are so many Republicans running for speaker that if any of them get five votes, they’ll be able to make a runoff.”

To become the majority leader during his first term, Harris built a reputation on the back of personal visits to districts — a road map he said he intends to follow once more. But he won’t be the only representative traveling those conservative roads.

Republicans currently control 56 percent of the chamber, and that share is likely to increase next term. If there are any doubts, just considering the expanding field for speaker. (We’re tracking 10 contenders at LaPolitics.com)

"In his first term, Bobby Jindal didn’t get too involved in the speaker’s election, and (former Speaker) Jim Tucker worked it hard," said Jones, who was elected in 2007. "I think that gave the House its first taste of independence."

Rep. Thomas Carmody, a term-limited Republican who was elected in 2008, suggested that the chain of events that followed have limited the pool of potential candidates, resulting in a race that’s becoming more political and public than representative of the body’s true trust. "How many of the people expressing interest are Democrats?" asked Carmody. "When I came to the House, with Speaker Tucker, the place-settings were already set. Then with (former Speaker) Chuck Kleckley, he went upstairs and told Jindal what Jindal needed to be told. Now, after Taylor, it’s completely different."

While he has no immediate plans to raise money, House Civil Law Chairman Ray Garofalo confirmed to LaPolitics that he will run for speaker using a nontraditional campaign structure. "I’ll be trying to educate new members on who I am and what I stand for," he said, "without seeming like I’m trying to buy their vote."

This comes just days following Rep. Alan Seabaugh’s disclosure to journalist Greg Hilburn. "Louisiana is currently facing many challenges and my role as a conservative leader in the Louisiana Legislature is more important than ever," Seabaugh told Hilburn. "I intend to run for reelection in 2019 and will be a serious candidate for the position of speaker of the House."

In a followup interview, Seabaugh added that he has a busy few days ahead, before he starts fundraising in earnest, "I originally wanted the name SeaPAC, but the riverboat pilots beat me to it. So it will be named Seabaugh PAC instead." (Local politicos say Seabaugh is already getting involved in a few races, including the seven special elections set for Feb. 23.)

So far the other competitors, based on fundraising and positioning, have been Natural Resources Chair Stuart Bishop, particularly, and Criminal Justice Chair Sherman Mack, more recently. Rep. Barry Ivey is expected to mount a bid and no one is discounting late movement from the likes of Reps. Jack McFarland, Johnny Berthelot, Paula Davis or Bake Miguez, to name a few.

That recently prompted a freshman lawmaker to privately quip, “When is Santa Claus going to announce?”

Everyone won’t be a winner, and the smartest politicos already realize as much. While it’s often said there are no second place prizes in politics, some of the maybe-candidates certainly know that among the best ways to secure a chairmanship is to cut a deal with the future speaker, before any votes are cast.

That proud House tradition will likely go unchanged in Louisiana AB. As for everything else, take you best guess.

Jeremy Alford is Publisher-Editor of LaPolitics.com / LaPolitics Weekly. His email is JJA@LaPolitics.com.